Hong Viet Dung was born in 1962 in Hanoi and graduated with a degree in Painting from the Hanoi Industrial College of Fine Art in 1984 Generally, Hong uses pale and distinctly muted colours to bring a sense of calmness and contemplation to his subjects. He only brings essentials to the foreground, allowing the viewer to use them as a stage for creating his or her own images and reflecting upon them. His works convey a meditative spirit, no doubt inspired by his devotion to the Buddhist faith. His works convey the essence of painting and their uncomplicated, Zen style invites viewers to delve into them and contemplate their own thoughts and reflections. In his recent works, Ha Long Bay, the subject matter goes beyond reminding the viewers of the Vietnamese national treasure. His works emanates a calm and serene quality of Ha Long Bay that is ironic to its legendary origin. 'Ha Long' is directly translated as 'Bay of descending Dragons'. According ancient belief, in an attempt to save the Vietnamese people from foreign invasion, these dragons spewed pearls that formed the scattered limestone structures of today, preventing invaders. The chaos that constitutes this ancient belief is where the artist has instead used to depict peace and tranquility. Hong uses simplicity to present the very essence of his works to the viewers, simple yet stunning.